Thursday, 10 July 2014

Interview with Diana Heyne

Diana Heyne is an artist who, among other works, makes things for the fae. I sent her some questions which she was nice enough to answer.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m
an American multidisciplinary artist who has been living in France for
the past five years. My family background is a creative one: my mother
was a professional musician, teacher and writer and my grandmother a
painter and all around creative person. I hold a BFA degree from
Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. I’ve also worked
professionally in writing, music and theatre. I’ve lived in eight
states and two countries and obviously enjoy travel and change.

Tell us a bit about your business

I
sell my work through galleries and on line through two Etsy shops that I
started almost seven years ago. In my shop for natural materials faery
furniture and houses, Pandora Jane, I sell dollhouse size furniture with
a twist; it’s all made from materials gleaned from nature. I create
original designs and work with clients through custom orders to create
pieces specifically for their faery gardens, fantasy decor and special
events such as weddings and festivals. I also create custom twigs signs
and faery crowns for Pandora Jane. ( http://www.pandorajane.etsy.com )How did you decide to make faery art?

Since
childhood I’ve always made tiny houses and accessories of twigs and I
always spent as much time as possible outside in nature, either under or
up the nearest tree. As I mentioned earlier my mother and grandmother
were both creative women with a bit of a mystical streak as well. They
encouraged my love of nature and her mysteries. I was also encouraged to
read, with selections from the realms of fantasy, folklore, mythology
and natural science early favourites.

What inspires you?

I am constantly inspired by the beauty, mystery and power of the realm of nature.What is the best thing about what you do?

Making people happy with my art. What is the worst thing about what you do?

Hot glue burns!Do you like to listen to music while you work?

I
listen to many types of music while working and I sometimes sing whilst
making or other times just enjoy the quiet and the music of birds, wind
and weather.

How has geeky/ alternative/faery culture inspired you?

I have always considered myself a proud citizen of
Bohemia, with alternative culture a way of being inherited from my
parents and their artistic lifestyle. For me life and everything in it
can be a vehicle for creativity: home environment, clothing, gardening,
cooking, etc. I like to observe the latest trends in popular culture but
I’m not always caught up in them. A lot of popular faery culture
doesn’t appeal to me personally. I see what I do as a reflection of my
love of nature and her deep mysteries and the ecological concerns
motivated by that involvement rather than something lightweight and
“airy-fairy”. It’s a bit of a paradox being chiefly known for what I do
in the realm of fae art, yet not identifying with so much of that scene.
(And I don’t mean to critique anyone here, it’s just not very resonant
for me on the whole).

Being self-employed how do you make sure you actually do your work?

I have been a full time self employed artist
for quite a few years so I’ve developed rather good self-discipline
about working and meeting deadlines. One of the biggest motivators is
that I otherwise might not be able to eat! And of course I want to keep
my clients happy. I like what I do so I work a great deal of the time
and use different hours of the day and night to accomplish the things I
need to, which allows me some freedom in how I spend my day. For
instance, if I walk in the park for two hours in the middle of the day I
can always make up for it at night. Weekends and week days are about
the same to me in terms of use; I don’t allot certain hours to work and
certain to play. Part of that is my art is life, life is art philosophy.
It’s happening all the time, regardless of what I’m doing, including in
my dreams!

Thanks so much to Diana for taking the time to talk to us! Take a look at more of her lovely creations on Etsy!